All my life people have mistaken me for being older and it drives me nuts. When I was a preteen everyone thought I was in my 20's and at the time I thought it was cool. Well when I hit my 20's and a couple of people mistook me for being in my 40's I started to get upset! Is it my height? weight? Do I just LOOK old? I'm 32 right now and am so critical of how I look. Money is tight right now but when I get closer to goal I plan on getting a more "youthful" haircut and hope to get younger looking clothes but I don't want to look like a fool-you know those people who dress too young for their age. I don't want to look trashy just a bit more youthful. Anyone have this problem! BTW I've been heavy my entire life.

I have no idea - most people mistake me for being around 22-26 years old - I am 31. I think my thinner face makes me look older though. I have no idea how other people think i look when im thinner - i know my face lookes very diffent thin vs fat though.

I think when you're under 35 or so, extra weight can make you look older. 35-70 or so, I don't think it makes much of a difference. And from 70 onward I think you look better, younger, and more vibrant with some extra pounds on you.

That's why I can't wait until I hit 70 so I can start packing on the pounds again.

Andy

I'm at that age when the "laugh lines" really start to show. I think I look even older now that my face is thinner. Of course, I also think the college freshmen look younger and younger every year.

I recently had to choose a photo for work. My choices were (a) 3 months pregnant but 6 years younger, or (b) 25 pounds lighter but 6 years older. It was a surprisingly difficult choice. (I went with the current photo, so not to cause any heart attacks among visitors who expect youth but find wrinkles.)

Kim

Check out the photos in the Goal Photo Album. I think just about everyone who posted before and afters looks noticeably younger after weight loss.

I think that facially, if one is heavier, one's face is a bit filled out. And in young people, that "rounder face" is a give-away to actual age. Just look at Madonna when she was in her 20s, or Catherine Zeta-Jones when she was in her 20s vs. today. It is absolutely true that as people age, their subcutaneous fat tends to disappear, and is particularly visible on one's neck, hands, and cheek area. SO, being heavier, with more fat, keeps your face and neck "plumped up". BUT BUT BUT!!!! Keep in mind that some clinicians feel that high sugar and fat intake (not the good fats mind you) and smoking plus sun exposure affect your cellular metabolism and prematurely age you. If you look at alot of super-thin young Hollywood, who subsist on Starbucks and sugar, suntans and Marlboros, I think they look much, much older than they are (the skeletal Olsen twin, Victoria Beckham, Brooke Hogan, and other such stick-insects...).
ALSO, we are just discussing your face! For the average person extra poundage really seems to add on the years. I think that the rest of your frame looks much, much older, and dare I say, somewhat dowdy. Part of this is the way you dress, but the other part of it is just how you look in an overall sense. And like Meg says, check out the before and after shots, and you can see a big overall difference when people lose weight.

If you are just counting the face . . . I have to agree that after reaching "a certain level of maturity" (middle age), the face tends to look a little younger with a bit more fat holding the skin taunt so the wrinkles are less noticeable. However, if you view the entitity as a whole, I think a slimmer outline will always look younger, and move younger, too.

Hmmm - well people who have not seen me since before I lost the weight say I look WAY younger

Ditto for me--I'm a stump and down almost 30 pounds so I keep thinking people will notice the change. I have gotten 2 (count them) 2 compliments specifically on my weight loss. People generally think I'm a lot younger than I am, but my best friend recently said "you look younger than ever!" and others have said things like I look rested or energetic or some such. I'll take all positive feedback.

I definitely think being heavier while you are 'youngish' is ageing, especially if it is accompanied by conservative type clothes. I know at my heaviest you would not see me in tank tops (forget shorts) or jeans, it was all about hiding the fat.

Also, being heavy gives a more matronly appearance, thus the assumption you are older.

I think I look younger when I'm heavier. I lost a bunch of weight 6 years ago and I think I looked a little older then. I've re-gained the weight (two pregnancies) and I look younger now than I did then. It's frustrating. I'm 32, have my PhD, and because I work on a college campus many people mistake me for an undergrad. Consequently, I find it hard for people to take me seriously. Hey, there's some extra motivation to help get the weight off!

Looking at my before and after pics...I definately think the extra weight makes me look older. I think on an overall picture...being over weight makes you look older. Alot of over weight people can't buy stylish clothes (without them being very expensive) and tend to have that hunch back look to their backs. (I truely hope i'm not offending anyone!!!). I know that I am still working on improving my posture.

so...i think the answer is yes....being overweight makes you look older.

I can look at pics of me in my 20s and overweight and swear I was a 40 yo woman. Now, in my 40's and a healthy weight, I've had comments on my age many times. I've been mistaken for as young as 25 at one point.

Hmmm...I think u guys may have hit a nerve w/me. Since I've been heavy my entire life I've been inclinded to wear . . .well for lack of a better word OLD PEOPLE CLOTHES! Sorry no offense intended to anyone!!!! I remember being like 12 years old and wearing a matching dress w/my MOTHER!!!! OMG what was I thinking and more importantly what was SHE thinking! I still want to hold off on getting new clothes since I'm still in the losing process and would like to at least get under 200 # before I invest in too many outfits. When I do shop though I want to get the nicest clothes out there! Thanks for all of your posts!

I just looked over my old photos and realized that most of my fashion sense when I was younger was from my mom's closet (the clothes FIT!). BUT, since she had me at 41, when I was 20 I was dressing like a 61-year-old!!! Not that there aren't fashionable 61-year olds, but my mom dressed for function, not style...

I feel your pain...